Wire-forming machine



JuneZ, 1'9-5'3 H. M. YOUNG WIRE FORMING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 'Aug. 28'; 1948 QUE INVENTOR ATTORNEY c N m M M R m June 2, 1953 H. M. YOUNG WIRE FORMING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 28, 1948 INVENTOR. HARRY .M. Youuc y I I Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT 6 Claims. (01. 140-82) This invention relates in general to forming machines and, more particularly, to wire-forming machines.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a wire-forming machine which isreadily adaptable for producing avariety of pronged' wire articles such'as fence post clips, for example. l 7

It is a further object of the present invention toprovide a wire-forming machine which is reli-' able, eflicient, and economical in operation, be-' ing high-speed, and requiring a l minimumnofmanual labor.

It is sa further object of the present-invention to provide a wire forming' machine which is rugged and relatively's'irnple in construction.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features'of' form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims. I I

In the accompanying d1awing- Figure l is a front elevational view of a wire forming machine constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figures 2, 3, 4, and are fragmental sectional views taken along lines 22, 33, 4 -4, and 5-5, respectively, of Figure 1;

Figure'G is a fragmental sectional view taken alongline 66 of Figure 2; I

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a wire bending member forming a part of the present invention;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the wire pipe Figures 13, 14, 15, 'and lfi are fragmentary transverse sectional views taken along lines l3-'i3, I l-44, I5- l5, and Ili -Iii of Figures 9, 10, 11', and 12, respectively,

Referring now in more detail, and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a wire-forming machine comprising front and rear vertical plates B, B, secured together in spaced relation at their four corners by horizontal side railsC and bolts 0. Also bolted upon the under faces of the lower side rails C, by means of bolts d, are leg members D.

1 An arm F, integral witl 1,:and in the same plane as, theplate B, extends laterally therefrom and supports, adjacent its outer end, awire-s'traight- 2 ,v ening mechanism G having a'vertical set of rollers I, each roller thereof being suitably mounted on an adjustable slide block 2; v

Mounted in spaced parallel relatiohonthe outer face of the arm F, and forwardly of'the mechanism G, are two vertical members 3, 3', having horizontally aligned feed apertures 4, 4, and supporting vertically spaced horizontal slide rods 5; 6"." Slidably mounted upon,and extending vertically between, the rods 5,6, is a feed carriage 1 provided with a downwardly presented wire guide; shoulder I and having bolted'upon'its face two spaced guide clamps v8, 9, suitably adapted forloosely holding a wire a fed into the machine A through the mechanism G beneath the: guide shoulder 8. Pivotally mounted upon-the feed car riage I by means of a pintlexbolt lflis. a feed-dog i ll provided at its lower end with a projeeting handle 12', and being connecte'd'tdoneend ofaspiral spring 13 which is, in turn, fastened at-its; outerend to the feed carriage 1. At itsupper end, the feed dog I I engages the underside of the wire a as it'lies against the' guide shoulderwfl. Rearwardly of, and adjacent to, the: 'verticar member 3 is a hold-back dog l4, pivotedion the arm F and biased by a tension spring 15 secured; at its upper end to an arm 16 extending in verti-- cally spaced parallel relation to the arm-F from the plate B to which it is bolted at its. forward end. The hold-back dog [4 is adapted for 'en-'- gagement with the wire a as it'passesover a startionary guide block 11; The feed dog II and hold-back dog I4 are biased in such amannerr that when the feed carriage 1 moves forwardly (i. e., to the left, reference being-had to Figure 1) the feed dog II will tighten and grip the wired so that it will be pulled forwardly with the car-' riage 1 and the hold-back dog I' l will correspondingly allow the wire a to move freely. Contrary: wise, when the carriage 1 moves rearwardly, the feed dog I I will release the wire a so that the car-'- riage 1 can slide freely with respect thereto.:dur'-. ing such return movement, while thG-hOId-vbflCk dog M will tend to grip'the wirea'iandholdit stationary. f I:

Bolted at its lower end to'thev arm, F, and welded to the end of the arm 16, is a vertical support bar I8, and pivoted at its upper end thereon is a downwardly extending link, It pro,- vided in its'lower endwith 'a slot 20 for operative driving connection to the feed carriageliby means of a-stud 2!. v.

' Swingably secured to the link 19, approxi mately midway between its ends,zisxa' itmari or connecting rod 22 pivotally secured atits forward OFFICE with. The adjustable erank "24 is integrallyprovided with a projecting boss '24 in which is rotatably mounted an adjustment screw 28 threadedly engaged in a boss 25' formed integrally-' with the way block 25, whereby the amountoifthrow of the link l9 and the corresponding stroke of the feed carriage I may be adjusted-"as'neces sary for various desired lengthspf wire a.

Operatively mounted at its upperend upas'tu eccentric 26 is an adjustable length resence, connected at its lower endto the lower end of a vertically disposed slide 30 reciprocably-mounted:

within the slideways 3 l-; 3 l f associated with, and

extending downwardly from a guideblock 32 ad just'ably mounted 'on' the plate -B--for directing the wire a, betweenthe shearing-member 33 formedon'the' upper end of-the slide3il and"com'- plementarily' shaped'shear -b10ck--34' rigidly secured to the block 32:

Mounted forwardly ofthe shear blocked on" the plate B is a forming ass'emblyl-l comprising spaced parallel'way-formingmembers 35- and a 3-;

superposed forming plate 36', provided centrally with an 1 elongated vertical "slot- 3? which; on the inner face of said plate 3t;"extends downwardly-- to connect with an inverted-V-shaped-iorming slot 38'ext'ending upwardly-from the-lower margin of the plate 36." Slidabl'y disposed within the slot 31 is 'a stripping finger 39= having an-arcuately shaped lower margin 40 which normally projects a short distanceunto 'the forming slot 38'. Anarm-like projectionfil" extends outwardly fromthe upper portionor the stripping finger 33 through the slot '37 and beyond the outer face of the plate 36. Suitably secured to,-and extend ing upwardly fromitheupper'face or the stripping;

finger 39 is a guide rod llh' the upper end of-which projects througha circular aperture-43 provided in the upper face "of -the'-plate-'36- and axially aligned'with theslo't3'f; A coil spring is en circlingly disposed about" the member 42; abut ting at its upper-endagainst the upper" side ot the slot 3'l ror downwardly biasing the strip ping finger 39.

Disposed within the way ror-med by the mem hers-35 is a forming's'lide 45' provided 'inits-lower portion with an outwardly-projectingtriangular boss -46 having an upper rounded apex, as at b.- At its-upper end; the'fornling-slide 45' is attached by'mean's" of '-'a stud 41'130 the lower end-or an adjustable link 48' which is; inturn; eccentrically connected at its upper end-hymeans of a crank pin' '49' to-a rotary diskiil'keyed upon the pro jected end of a crank shaft Skextending through the'plates B, B and jou-rnalledtherein by-suitable bearings 52, 53.

Pinned on that portion ofthe crank shaft extending between the plates ByB'; is a drivinggear 54- for meshing engagement with a pinion 55 mounted upon an auxiliary shaft 2? whereby rotation'of the crank shaft Etwill efiect rotation of theauxiliary shaft'Z'L Keyedupon the crank shaft 51 is a disk or wheel 56 having secured thereon-a ca m-like pr'ojectionfi'l operatively-em gagin'g with the upper end'of 'a slide bar-58 shiftably mounted within a guide block Ed secured to the inner face of the plate B. The lower 4 end of the bar 58 is bifurcated in the provision of a clevis 63 for straddling engagement with a lever arm 6i extending therethrough and maintained against vertical displacement by a pin 62 extending between the lower portions of the clevis 63. The lever arm 6!, at its inner end, is pivotally mounted on a suitable bracket 63 secured to the inner face of the plate B, and has mounted on its'upwardly presented margin a loop lidon which' are attached the" ends of spiral springs 65, 66, biasing the arm 6! upwardly, being secured at their upper ends to a bracket arm 37 suitably secured to the guide block 59. Outwardly trthespuai springs 65, 56, is a second pair of spiral spr-iiigs'63559, secured at their upper ends to the bracket 63 and at their lower ends to opsmaemargms-than H -shaped wire bending memb'erlO extending through an enlarged aperture H in the plate B and pivotally mounted on the forming slide 45 by means of pins 72 extending through circular bosses '13 provided thereon.

At its lower'or'forwar'dly projecting end, the wire bending member 79 is provided with leg portions whereby, upon the member 10 being pivoted or rocked, the lower end of the" legs M will swing outwardly within 'a plane perpendicular-"to the plane of the slide 45. The lower ends of the'legs" M are disposed an llarlylupward for reasons appearing more'fullyhe'reinaftei. Extending across the upper end of said' member 10; and secured at its; ends within bosses J5 provided'on'the legs 74, T4, isa 'cross' rod 16L Thecrank shaft 5| is providedon its inwardly projecting end with a pulley" Tl having a belt 18 thereon which is operatively connected" to a conventional electric motorinot shown).

An adjustable stop r'neami 19 is provided forwardly of the forming assembly H wherebythe length of the wire 'a cut bythe'shearing member 33 maybe adjusted. V

Secured at its'forwar'd' end to thefac'e of the plate B below the stop means19 i's a horizontally extending stripping bar 80 which is formed so that its free end is spaced outwardly from the slide 45. x

In operation; the slide 35 ismove'd upwardly responsive to rotation of the disk'iill", whereby the sheared length of wire a is carried upwardly by the triangul'a'r boss 45 and driven into the forming slot 38, and is shaped in conformity with theshape of theboss 43.: Simultaneously therewith, the stripping linger 39'is driven upwardly within the slot 37 and out of the formingvslot 38, thereby compressingth e spring it. As the forming boss 45 is zcarried downwardly through further rotation of the disk 51R, subsequent to the forming action, the spring '44, being thereby released, drives the stripping finger 39 downwardly to eject from the forming slot 38 any formed wire sections whichfthrough friction, might have remained therein after the withdrawal of the forming boss' lfi. The abutment of the under face of the projection 4! upon the lower sicleoi? the aperture or slot 37 on the outer face of the plate 33 limits the downward movement of the'stripping; finger 39 soth'aton ly a defined portion thereof pr'oje cts'intolthe slot 3"! in stripping action. As the forming slide'45 reaches'the upper limit of its stroke, and the 'adjustable'link '48 passes through its top dead center position, the cam projection 57 of the wheel 5Bpasses through the lowermost arc of its travel and engages the upper end of the slide bar 58, driving it sharply downwardly, and correspondingly rocking the lever arm Bl downwardly into contact with the cross rod IS of the member Til, whereupon the upper portion of said member It is pivoted downwardly, thus causing the lower leg portions to be swung upwardly and outwardly into bending contact with the end portions of the wire a and thereby bending the lower portion thereof outwardly to form a completed fence post clip M having prongs p, p, which lie in parallel planes, so to speak, but are non-parallel to each other. The wire a, when formed, is carried downwardly by the boss 45 as the forming slide 45 travels downwardly. In such travel, one of the bent endportions of the wire a is brought into contact with the upper margin of the stripping bar 8t. By such impact, thewire a is tripped forwardly, whereupon it falls outwardly from the machine A and into a suitable receptacle (not shown).

It should be understood that changes andmodifications inthe form, construction, arrangement, and combination ofthe several parts of the wireforming machine may be made and substituted for those herein shownand described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A-machine for forming a piece of wire into a predetermined shape, which machine includes a frame, intermittent wire-feeding means operatively mounted on the frame for feeding the wire along a substantially straight path, cut-off means operatively mounted on the frame along said pathand being adapted to cut off the wire into pieces of predetermined length, a stationary diemounted on the frame'on one side of said path and having a recess of predetermined shape opening toward the path along which the wire moves when it is being intermittently fed by the feeding means, a sliding die reciprocably mounted on the frame and being initially positioned on theopposite side of said path with respect to the stationary die, said sliding die having a member adapted for movement across said path into the recess. of the stationary die and being adapted-to engage and force the central portion of the cutoff section of wire into said recess for bending it into conformity to the shape thereof, die reciprocating means operatively associated with the sliding die for shifting the die from initial position into wire-forming engagement within the stationary die andthereafter returning the slid-- ing die to initial position, means pivotally mounted on the slide-and being'swingable' about an axis transverse tothe line of movement of the sliding die after the sliding die reaches the upper.

limit of its stroke and thereby bending the end portionsof the wire out of the plane in which originally ,bent, and driving means operatively connected to the feeding means, cut-off means and die reciprocating means for operatingthe feeding means, cut-off means and sliding the in timedrelation to each other.

2. A machine for forming a piece of wire into a predetermined shape, which machine includes a frame, intermittent wire-feeding means operatively mountedon the name for feeding the wire along a substantiallyjstraight path, cut-off means operatively mounted on the frame along said path and being adapted to cut off the wire into pieces of predetermined length,"=a stationary die mounted on the frame on one side of said path and having a recess of predetermined shape opening toward the path along which the wire moves when it is being intermittently fed by the feeding means, asliding die reciprocably mounted on the frame and being initially positioned on the opposite side of said path with respect to the stationary die, said sliding die having a member adapted for movement across said path into the recess of the stationary die and being adapted to engage and force the central portion of the cuteoff section of Wire into said recess for bending. it into conformity to the shape thereof, die

reciprocating means operatively associated with the sliding, die for shifting the die from initial position into wire-forming engagement within the stationary die and thereafter returning the sliding. die' to initial position, means pivotally mounted on the slide and being swingable about anaxis transverse tothe line of movement of the slidingdie after the sliding die reaches the upper limit of its stroke and thereby bending the end portions of the wire out ofthe plane in which "originally, bent,

stripper means operatively mounted in thestationary 'die for ejecting'the formed piece of wire as the sliding die returns to initial position, and driving means operatively connected. to the feeding means, cut-01f means and die reciprocating means for operating the feeding ,means, cut-01f means and sliding die in timed relation to each other.

3. A machine for forming'a piece of wire into a predetermined shape, which machine includes a: frame, intermittent wire feeding means operatively mounted on the frame for feeding the wire along a substantially straight path, cut-off means operatively mounted on the frame along said path between the stationary die and the intermittent feeding means and being adapted to cut off a section of ,theflwire, stop means mounted on the frame on the opposite side of the stationary die with respect to thecut-off means, said stop means having an abutment face extending across the path along which the Wire moves when his being fed by the intermittent feeding means, said abutment face being adapted to contact the oncoming end of the wire as it is fed so that the piece of wire severed by the cut-off means in each suecessive cycle'of operation of the machine will be determined by the distance between said faceand the cut-off means so that the successivelysevered pieces of wire will be of thesame predetermined length, a stationary die mounted on the frame onone side of said path and having a recess of predetermined, shape opening towardthe path along which the wire moves when it is being intermittently fed ,by the feeding means, a sliding die.reciprocably'rnounted on the frame and being initially positioned on the opposite side of said path with respect to the stationary die, said slidswingableabout. an. axis transverse to the line.

of movementofthe' sliding die after the sliding diereaches'theupperlimitof its stroke and there:

bybending; the end portions of the wire out of the plan'e in -which originally-bent, and driving 4. A machine for forming a piece of wire into a predetermined shape, which machine includes a frame, intermittent wire-feedingmeans oper atively mounted on the frame for feeding the wire" along a substantiallystraight path, cut-oil? means operativelymounted on the frame along said path'between the stationary die and the intermittent-feeding-means and being adapted to cutoff a section of-the wire, stop'means adjustablymounted ontheframe on the opposite side of the stationary die with respect to the cut-off means, said stop means having an abutment face extending across the path along which the wire moves when it is being fed by the intermittent feeding means, said abutment face being adapted'to contact the oncoming end of the wire as it is fed so'thatthe piece of wire severed by the cutoff means in'each successive cycle of operation of'the m-achinewiil be determined by the distancebetween said face and the cut-off means so that the successively severed pieces of wire will-beof the same predetermined length as established' by the particular adjustment of the stop means, -a stationary die mounted on the frame-on-one side of said path and having a recess of predetermined shape opening toward the'path along which the wire moves when it is being intermittently fed by the feeding means,

a sliding die reciprocably mounted on the frame and-being initially positioned on the opposite side ofsaiclpath with respect to the stationary die, said sliding-die having a member adapted for movement across said path into the recess of the stationary die and being adapted to engage and force the central portion of the cut-off section of wire into said recess for bending it into conformity to the shape thereof, die reciprocating means operativelyassociated with the sliding die for shifting the die from initial position into'wireforming engagement within the stationary die and thereafter returning the sliding die to initial position, means pivotally mounted on the slide and being swingable about an axis transverse to the line of movement of the sliding die after the sliding die reaches the upper limit of-its stroke and thereby bending the end portions ofthe wire out-of the'planein which originally-bent, and driving means operatively connected to the fee ing means, cut-off means and'die reciprocating means for operatingthefeeding means, cut-off means and sliding die'in timed relation to each other? 5. -A machine for forming a piece of wire into a predetermined shape, which machine includes a frame, intermittent-Wire-feeding means operatively mounted on the frame for feeding the wire along a substantially straight path, cut-off means operatively mounted on the frame along said path and being adapted to out off the wire into pieces-of-predeterminedlength, a stationary die mounted on the frame on one side of said path and having a recess of predetermined shape opening toward the path along which the wire moves when it is being intermittently fed by the feeding'means, a sliding die'reciprocablymounted on the frame-and being initially positioned on the opp'osite side of said path with respect to the. stationary die, said sliding die having a member adapted for movement across said path into-the recess of the stationary die andbeing adaptedto engageland force the central portion of the cut-off section of 'wireinto said recessfor" bending it into conformity'to the shape thereof,

die-reciprocating means operatively associated with the sliding die for shifting the die from initial position into wire-forming engagementwithin the stationary die and thereafter return-' ingthe sliding die to initial position, an H-shapecl" bender pivotally mounted on the slide and being swingable about an axis transverse to the-line of movement of the sliding die after the sliding die reaches the upper limit of its stroke and thereby bending the end portions of the wire out of the plane in which originally bent, and driving" means operatively connected to the feeding means, cut-off --means and die reciprocating means for operating the feeding means, cut-elf means'and' sliding die in timed relation to each other.

6. A machine for forming a piece of wire into a predetermined shape, which machine includes a frame; intermittent wire-#feeding means operatively mounted on the'frame for feeding the wire along a substantially straight path, cut-01f means operatively mounted on the frame'along said path and being adapted to cut off the wire into pieces of predetermined length, a stationary die mounted on the frameon" one side'of said path and'having a recess of predetermined shape opening toward the path along which the-wire moves when it is being intermittently fed'by the feeding means, a sliding die reciprocably mount ed onthe frame and being initially positioned on the opposite side of said path with respect to Y the stationary die, said'sliding die having a mem-' ber adapted-for movement across said path'into the recess of the stationary die and being'adap'ted to engage and force the central portion of the cut-oif'section of wire into said recess for bendmg it into conformity tothe'shape thereof, the

reciprocating means operatively associated v with the sliding die for shifting the die from initial position into wire forming engagement within the stationary'die and thereafter returning the" References Cited in, the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS Number Name Date 145,250 Spencer Dec. 2, 1873" 319,206 Dodge June 2, 1885 392,878 Owen NOV. 13, 1888- 598,131 Add'icks Feb. 1, 1898 1,127,109 Tarpenning Feb. 2, 1915 1,342,712 Garllus' June 8,1920 1,642,903 Stoakes Sept. 20, 1927 1,687,938 Mullen Oct. 16,1928 1,850,666 Frenette Mar. 22, 1932 1,880,454; Klocke Oct. 4, 1932 1,954,791 Almgren Apr. 17, 1934 2,354,566 Yost July 25, 1944 2,362,006 I-Ierzog Nov. -7, 1944 

